Saturday, July 12, 2008

Mom

January 23, 2008 was the toughest day of our lives. It was the day we found out that mom was diagnosed with a Stage 3 Cancer. We had been through 2 years, sugeries and radiation but in December when she went to the wedding, it was all going to be ok. We didnt know at that time that the real fight was just about to begin. The real fight started on January 24th. And mum has inspired us all. She has been battling this disease in a manner that I never could. She has been through surgeries, radiation and 12 round sof chemo. I will never forget the night that she was put in an ambulance and rushed ot the intensive care because of the continuous bleeding. I was in Frankfurt on my way and was praying every second. She made it through. That is the first time I have been in an ambulance with someone so close to me lying in front of me, hooked up to tubes. I was listening to the sirens and it all started sinking in. I have cried at odd times. Not in the face of the disease or in front of mom but more when I watch a movie, walk out of the grocery store or listen to a song that for some reason strikes a chord so deep that it becomes impossible to hold myself together.I am not sure why I am writing this. I was inspired to write after I read something that my sister wrote on a blog about oral cancer. After I read that, I decided to write too.Mom has tremendous faith. That is what gives her strength. She is more concerned about us and herself. She makes us smile any chance she gets.Mom came home in June. We were so happy -- she was watering her plants, ordering the cooks around and walking to the garden to pick flowers for her prayers in the morning. She was back!! When I flew back here in April, I was hopeful. Hope -- its a dangerous word. It can make things ok in seconds. It is so powerful.When I saw mom over the July 4th weekend, I cant help say that I was very sad. I saw that she had declined severely since 8 weeks ago. She was still her usual self. She couldnt speak so she wrote some things in her book. "How is work?" she said. So I talked ot her for a while and told her how things are going really well. A lot better than last year. I have a new boss and a new job that I really like. I am so lucky to have a great team of people who are brilliant and hard working and they make me look good. Then she asked me what I was going to eat for lunch. In her book she wrote "Tell the cook to make Dosa, Coconut chutney for you". So I did. At dinner time, she wanted the book again. She wrote "Tell the cook to make you chinese food -- she can make fried rice and why dont you have some shrimp and fish?" she wrote. It broke my heart to see her in such spirits. She said " Dont worry, God is with me. God will take care of me"

Today is July 12, 2008 and we are praying again. Mom is back in the hospital. She was admitted the day after I came back here. Since the cancer is in her throat, she has difficulty eating, speaking and breathing. The 3 things I cannont imagine myself without. The cancer is showing signs of coming back. This is the worst disease anyone can get. Why does my precious mother have to suffer?

Mum is fighting Oral Cancer. We are praying. Oral cancer is the largest group of those cancers which fall into the head and neck cancer category. Common names for it include such things as mouth cancer, tongue cancer, and throat cancer. Approximately 35,000 people in the US will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer in 2008.

Recent Restaurant Reviews by Smita Premkumar

About Me

I like food, wine, the ocean, technology, cooking, fashion, music, netflix, celebrity gossip, manhattan, my baby girl, warm sheets out of the dryer, sunday mornings, food blogging.....
I started cooking in 2008 and it became a way of working through unexpected life challenges. It was also a way to remember mom and get involved in something that she loved. I come from a family of cooks and food lovers so it was a easy choice for me. Today it's become a passion. I use cooking as a way to express myself.
And if you know me you would know that I love to COOK because I love to EAT!! If you try any of my recipes, please please let me know what you think, what you liked and what you didn't like. Thanks!

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Mini Munch-able Burger by Tashi
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This was Tashi's idea and the name is also hers. This can be easily done on
a weeknight. If you can manage pick up at 5 pm, you will be eating by 7.
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4 months ago

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of loved ones, to earn the appreciation of honest critics. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a little bit better whether by a healthy child or a garden patch; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.This is to have succeeded. - Ralph Waldo Emerson